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One way of looking at them is that the cabins on the Epic are like the chic new guy/girl you see across the bar. Exciting and new from a distance but once you get to know them you find a number of things that really annoy you and you wonder if this is really worth the effort.
Most of these pictures will support the chic and new part. Annoying details to follow.
Owner's Suite (Garden Villas)Larger Version
Owner's Suite Guest Room (Garden Villas)Larger Version
Spa Suite Larger Version
Family Suite - QuadLarger Version
Family Suite - TripleLarger Version
Studio CabinLarger Version
InsideLarger Version
[ 07-11-2010: Message edited by: joe at travelpage ]
quote:Originally posted by DEIx15x8: The bathroom is the single biggest reason that will stop me from ever sailing her (unless it's free, only cleanliness could stop a free cruise, lol).
You'd have to experience the facilities yourself....it's not that bad...you actually get use to it.
I also think that NCL missesd the mark on the Courtyard Villas. Too small. The bedroom is cramped from looking at the photos. On the NCL ships that I have cruised, we had a category AC that was a nice size with the exception of the bathroom which was cramped due to the layout.
I do like many of the public rooms though. Very nice looking.
When it comes to suites well onviously that is different and they need to be a decent size.
Will I try Epic, well enjoyed the Sun and Jewel - hated the Pride of Hawaii, as for Epic probably not mainly because I don't ;like the courtyard set up (when by the pool it is nice to see the sea not a set of walls) and I have the distinct feeling that the other pool areas are going to be very crowded, the decor seems nice but nothing I am going to wowed by, so all in all to me she will probably have too many negatives, as for sailing her in the Med - no ways I doubt the terminals etc were designed for her.
I also don't like the fact there is not a coffee table in front of the sofa. If you order room service, there is really no where to eat it except on the bed or on the balcony if you have one and the weather is decent.
Next year NCL will reclassify the Deluxe Balcony as a Mini-Suite. I think it's a stretch calling this cabin a "mini-suite", as there is not even room for a coffee table in it.
Joe's picture of a four berth set up is the first I have seen of this arrangement. I can't imagine fitting four people in that cabin. Tight squeeze.
Anyway, overall I still like these cabins. I loved them when I first saw the renderings and I still think they look stylish and different.
Ernie
And if it is a quad, where is the fourth berth? I see three ... is someone supposed to sleep on the "curvy" sofa?
And even the villas/suites look rather cramped. There is so little room around the beds. I am starting to think those round beds are there not as a throwback to the '70s but as a way to make the rooms look bigger!
The more I look at photos of this ship, the more I see that I don't like.
quote:Originally posted by eroller:Next year NCL will reclassify the Deluxe Balcony as a Mini-Suite. I think it's a stretch calling this cabin a "mini-suite", as there is not even room for a coffee table in it.
I was in a deluxe. It‘s longer than a 'standard' but NO wider. It had more cupboards, an extra wardrobe and the shower was exceptionally long (in terms of floor space), but probably not any wider. In fact you could probably fit three average Brits in the shower, standing one behind each other(if you were into that kind of thing) but only one person would be under the shower head!
I could live with the toilet and shower, but I think the major design floor is the narrowness near the sofa/bed. Even an extra 12 inches would have things more comfortable. The quad looks unbearable. The renderings looked much more spacious!
quote:Originally posted by dougnewman:I hate the way the upper berth is sort of hanging in the middle of the cabin in the fifth photo down, without a solid bulkhead behind it. I have never seen that before and while I'm sure it's perfectly safe it just doesn't "look" right.
Hi Doug,This type of upper berth, that recesses from the ceiling is actually quite common now. The difference is that usually it's a bit closer to the wall, but the wall still does not support it.
Anyway, with the EPIC cabin design, if you have a 4-berth set up the cabin will be severely restricted. Either it will be nearly impossible to get out on the balcony, or if the sofa is by the bath area than it will be difficult for anyone on the "real" bed to "take a leak" in the middle of the night if they need to. LOL
EPIC is supposed to be a ship designed for families, but I'm not sure these cabins are ideal for any capacity more than two persons.
quote:Originally posted by Malcolm @ cruisepage: and the shower was exceptionally long (in terms of floor space), but probably not any wider. In fact you could probably fit three average Brits in the shower, standing one behind each other(if you were into that kind of thing) but only one person would be under the shower head!
and the shower was exceptionally long (in terms of floor space), but probably not any wider. In fact you could probably fit three average Brits in the shower, standing one behind each other(if you were into that kind of thing) but only one person would be under the shower head!
Hey Malcolm,The reason for that extra large shower is that some of the Deluxe Balcony's have a tub, and some have a shower. Those that have a shower use the same footprint as the tub, which makes it extra large.
Unfortunately no one at NCL has any idea which Deluxe Balcony cabins have a tub, and which have a shower. It's a crap shoot.
quote:Originally posted by eroller: The reason for that extra large shower is that some of the Deluxe Balcony's have a tub, and some have a shower.
Yes! The cabin two doors away had a bath tub in that very space.
Joe, were you in a deluxe?
[ 07-12-2010: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]
quote:Originally posted by Malcolm @ cruisepage:Joe, were you in a deluxe?
Malcolm,
No, we were in a family balcony - no tub.
Our configuration had the bed on the balcony side of the room so we had some distance from the shower/toilet.
Larger Version
Others we spoke with had the bed right next to the shower/toilet and said it was impossible to use either without waking you cabin mate.
And, Doug, you are correct. The third "berth" is indeed the "curvy" sofa. I had a hard enough time fitting on the bed (feet hung off the end) I do not see how an adult could fit on the sofa.
The quality of the furnishings is top-notch - solid and sleek with a nice use of veneer - but some things to consider when booking one of these staterooms:
- only one electrical outlet in room, two recepticles. Not a big issue if you can rotate devices.
- make sure you book with the bed on the baclony side unless you like watching and hearing people do stuff behind frosted glass
- A/C struggled to keep the cabin cool, so make sure to keep the balcony curtain closed when not in the room
- be careful when brushing teeth or washing face as you can easily poke your eye out or knock your head on the sink faucet.
Other thoughts:
Someone earlier had commented that the shower might overflow since the sliding glass door did not seal the bottom of the shower. I don't think this will be an issue as the lip on the bottom is a couple of inches high.
All lights can be controlled by switches at door and at bed. It would be nice to have some type of label or indicator on the switches so you can avoid trial and error in the middle of the night.
More space for storage than you would think. Two storage bins below the sofa and the sofa backs open up for storage as well. Closet is fine and there is more storage under the counter.
Not sure where you would put a tray if you order room service. No table to put anything on an counter is very narrow. I guess you could go out on balcony or sit on bed.
There is a small trash can in the toilet silo and the other trash bin is a big plastic tub below the sink that slides out. There is no liner or bag just a big plastic tub you throw your trash into. Odd.
Dome lighting above bed (unless you have a quad) is very nice. Give a very 3-D recessed effect but is flat.
Joe at TravelPage.com
The use of dark woods around the ship and in the cabins reminded me of the QM2 - very classy for a 'fun ship'.
be careful when brushing teeth or washing face as you can easily poke your eye out or knock your head on the sink faucet.
NCL acknowledge that this is a design error. They are going to fit a 'faucet' that can swings out of the way when not required. The sink is too small as well, hence the water keeps leaving it when you operate the faucet, but I doubt that they will change all of the sinks too?
I ordered breakfast via room service and a crew member brought it on the biggest try that I've ever seen. He struggled to get it through the door! They need to shrink their trays are enlarge their cabins!
One steward told me it was for trash, another said it was for dirty laundry - who knows?
The sofa-bed is quite low-tech. It's on castors, you you wheel it out a bit from the backrest which is attached to the wall. Of course there is not too much room to wheel it very far!
quote:Originally posted by LeBarryboat:Actually, during the press conference, they talked about the small sink and said it was the idea of Colin Veitch so that he could fill his coffee mug or something like that...and someone joked..."is that why he is not here anymore"? They also stated that rather than replacing the sinks, they will lower the water pressure for the sinks to avoid over-fill or spill.
I hope people have been reporting there toothbrushes being blasted out of their hands. I can't imagine a ship lowering the pressure anymore than it typically is. In general hotels, resorts, and especially ships are usually prone to really low water pressure which can make rinsing toothbrushes a bit difficult.
quote:Originally posted by DEIx15x8:In general hotels, resorts, and especially ships are usually prone to really low water pressure...
In general hotels, resorts, and especially ships are usually prone to really low water pressure...
The water pressure on Epic seemed better than on many ships in my cabin shower. The water pressure into the small sink was DEFINATELY too high, so much of the water left the sink!
[ 07-13-2010: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]
quote:Originally posted by Malcolm @ cruisepage:The water pressure on Epic seemed better than on many ships in my cabin shower. The water pressure into the small sink was DEFINATELY too high, so much of the water left the sink![ 07-13-2010: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]
Good to hear, hopefully that means they'll only have to lower the pressure to a more standard (ship) pressure level.
However, if NCL goes with a more standard layout we'll know that passengers didn't warm to the innovative design.
I said it when these cabins were first unveiled. NCL designed Epic to squeeze in as many passengers as possible...that meant tiny cabins. They knew the small cabins would be a problem so they had to come up with a gimmick that would distract from their size...something innovative to distract people from directly comparing them with other ships' cabins. That explains the wave.
I'm guessing we won't see this design on future NCL ships. One thing I hope we do see are the single-cabins. That's one redeeming quality in the Epic's new cabin approach.
quote:Originally posted by Fairsky:...One thing I hope we do see are the single-cabins. That's one redeeming quality in the Epic's new cabin approach.
I hope this becomes a new standard category on cruise ships. Especially with them spread out through out the ship instead of grouped. Multiple types would be great as well. I could see a lot of potential with single cruisers who are a part of a larger party. I'm always surprised about how many people think more than 2 in a cabin is insane but with a single parent and 2 kids they could do joining single and double cabins. A family of four traveling with a grandparent could give them a single cabin so they have some privacy to get away from the rest. So many great ways these single cabins could be used beyond just a person traveling alone.
quote:Originally posted by Fairsky:One thing I hope we do see are the single-cabins. That's one redeeming quality in the Epic's new cabin approach.
Of course they were a mistake! The 'Studios' were designed for couples. The strange thing was that NCL sold them for the same fare (per couple) as the inside cabins which are bigger. No wonder couples did not book them!
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